


Intervention

by AllTheNamesIWantedWereUsed



Category: The Penumbra Podcast
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Detective Noir, Drama, F/F, Family Feels, Fix-It of Sorts, Gen, Intervention, M/M, Post-Episode: e018 Juno Steel and the Final Resting Place, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-05
Updated: 2017-05-23
Packaged: 2018-10-28 13:11:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,058
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10831956
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AllTheNamesIWantedWereUsed/pseuds/AllTheNamesIWantedWereUsed
Summary: Juno has gone back to detective work, and Peter is devastated. Good thing Rita comes up with the semi-perfect plan: an intervention. But will it work?





	1. Chapter 1

When Peter Nureyev wakes up and stretches out a hand across the bed sheets only to find nothing, the first thing he feels is a drowsy confusion. Blinking his eyes open, he sleepily slides his fingers across the cold sheets, expecting to find the warmth of a certain private eye, disappointingly finding nothing. He thinks that Juno must have stepped out for some fresh air, or he's running errands before they leave.

 

The note he finds on the counter, written in blue ballpoint ink on yellow notebook paper says otherwise. He has to cross the room to get it, and the floor seems to sway under his feet as he reads Juno’s scrawl, a sickening feeling roiling in the pit of his stomach.

 

_Nureyev,_

_I'm sorry I couldn't get it up to tell you in person, but...I'm staying in Hyperion City. As much as I hate it, the place is my home, and someone needs to protect it. Trust me when I say that you're way better off without me. I'd only slow you down, and, well, a one-eyed detective isn't exactly inconspicuous. Please, go on and live your life , if not for yourself, then for me. I meant what I said last night, and if you did too, then please don't come looking for me._

 

_Goodbye,_

_Juno_.

 

Peter isn't aware of the hot tears sliding down his face until they hit the paper and blot the ink. Pain swells up in his chest, choking him and rendering him breathless. His knees thud to the floor and his brain is reeling. A sound comes out of him, one he hasn't made since the day he killed Mag, a sound he made later in the dead of night as guilt and grief threatened to suffocate him.

 

He's a fool, he knows that. He _knew_ , deep down that Juno would never up and leave his old life like that. Still...he can't deny the agonizing pain that cripples his heart.  The note folds in his trembling hand.  He's a fool, a stupid idiot, a complete imbecile.

 

That doesn't stop him from picturing his detective: dark skin, curly hair, lips that taste of whiskey always twisted either into a scowl or a smirk, eyes-(well, eye, now) the color of fresh coffee, the feel of him.

 

Gone.

 

He clenches his jaw, in an attempt to cage in all the emotions brewing within him.

 

It doesn't work, and for the first time in a very, very long time, Peter Nureyev lets himself break.

* * *

 

“You're kidding!” Rita gasps. “Mistah Steel, you didn't!”

 

Juno Steel glares at his secretary. He's told her the basics: he'd been in some trouble, Agent Glass got him out of it, and from the way her boss avoids her gaze, something had come up between the two. After endless prodding, he hisses something  about leaving in the middle of night from the Hyperion Central Hotel.

 

Rita wasn't the brightest bulb in the box, sure, but she could infer from the details that things had gotten a little steamy between Juno and Rex.

 

“And you came back here? You just left him there?” she asks, appalled.

 

Mister Steel certainly looks worse for the wear, with shadows under his eye(the other one is either gone or hidden behind the eyepatch. Her exclamation seems to make his shoulders slump even more.

 

“I'm going to my office. Call me if we need a case,” he mumbles, heading for the door. His fingers miss the handle by a few inches, and he huffs in annoyance before turning the knob.

 

Rita sighs after her boss. Mister Steel can't seem to catch a break.

 

Picking up her comm, she makes a call to an old friend while pulling up the guest registry at Hyperion Central Hotel. Mister Steel told her they were under a certain name. She makes sure to look for a couple by the names Ganymede and Calypso Atlas.

 

The other end picks up? “Hello?”

 

“Hey!” Rita says. “Listen, I need a favah.”

 

“Fire away.”

* * *

Several days later, when Peter Nureyev manages to put himself back together, albeit with a few cracks, his head is throbbing and his whole body feels sore.

 

The mail slot in the hotel room door(a security hazard, if one asks him,) rattles and a note falls through.

 

He's not sure how many more  notes he can take today. Still, he forces himself to rise despite the lead in his veins.

 

Unlike earlier, this is a thick cardstock, the words on it written in flowing black calligraphy, and instead of heart wrenching pain, it sends a spike of fear through him.

 

_If you ever want to see Juno Steel again, I suggest you be at the Plutonium Parlor at the intersection of  Starlight Street and Halo Drive from now to 8:30pm tonight. There's a reservation under the name Rex Glass. Don't be late._

_-V_

 

He's shaking again, and he can't help but wonder if Miasma somehow escaped. Then again, it's signed with a V. Perhaps Valencia somehow survived being gassed...and shot.

 

Logic flies out the window, and he instantly heads to the Plutonium Parlor, hoping that Juno is alright.

* * *

 

The Plutonium Parlor is a classy place, to say the least, but Peter can hardly enjoy it with his heart beating so fast, pumping at the same speeds it has whenever Juno is in danger.

 

He walks up to the smiling hostess, who pleasantly shows him to a table, tucked into the corner where few could see. His anxiety rises as more time passes by. He orders water, discreetly checking for any poison or knockout drugs.

 

He listens to the singer up on the stage, dulcet tones floating through the air. She seems familiar, oddly, but he can't place where he's seen her before.

 

At 6:43, his nerves are shot and he's about to light up the place when the singer slides over to his table, her bright blue dress offsetting the dark brown of her skin.

 

“Rex Glass?” she asks. He gives a tight nod, wanting to throttle her for keeping him waiting.

 

She sits across from him and smiles. “It's a pleasure to meet you, _Agent_.”

 

“Where's Juno?” he snarls, baring his teeth at her.

 

She laughs. “Right down to business, aren't you? Very well. But before you get too aggressive, I feel obliged to inform you that there is a gun pointed at you underneath this table. There's another one pointed at Juno Steel if I don't make it out of here. Am I clear?”

 

Gritting his teeth, he nods.

 

“Where is he?”

 

“Sitting in his office, lamenting his existence, I believe. He's also unbelievably cranky at the moment,” she answers, settling back in her chair. “Now, tell me, what happened between you and my brother?”

 

 _That_ throws him. No, it shoots him halfway off the planet.

 

“B-brother?” he sputters.

  
She grants him another winning smile. “That's right. My name is Venus Steel, and I have reason to believe you need my help.”


	2. Chapter 2

Venus Steel. Peter realizes why she looked so familiar: her face is framed in the same angles that Juno’s is, though her brother has been looking a bit more gaunt lately. She has his eyes, and her lips seem to quirk up in a smirk more than Juno’s scowl.

 

Venus Steel is a beautiful woman who clearly knows that she is beautiful. Her hair flows down past her shoulders in a waterfall of curls, and there's an undeniable wry twinkle in her eye. Her features hold the same mix of cunning and suspicion that resides in Juno’s, only younger. Even the network of scars crawling across her skin bears a striking resemblance to her brother.

 

“Juno never mentioned he had a sister.”

 

“He keeps me on the down-low, what with all that trouble he gets up to,” Venus replies, running a nail around the rim of the glass of whiskey she's ordered. It would seem that she and her older brother have similar drinking habits. “I'm a chink in his armor, and he likes to do what he can to keep that vulnerability covered up.”

 

He's reminded of their dead brother, killed by an abusive mother. Perhaps that's why Juno shields her from so much.

 

“Not that it really works, with everything I get up to,” she adds with a laugh.

 

“And what sort of things do you get up to?” Peter asks her.

 

“Wouldn't you like to know,” she counters, winking at him.

 

“Would it have anything to do with how you found me?”

 

“Oh, no. Rita called me, said Juno was in a slump and needed my help to find someone special.”

 

“A slump?” Peter echoes.

 

“Yeah,” Venus says as she takes a sip of whiskey, “He's been moody, refuses cases, and he's locked himself in his office drinking himself into oblivion.”

 

Peter hates the fact that it's far too easy to imagine Juno in that state.

 

“By the way, do I want to know why my brother is _missing an eye_?” The last few words are spoken with a touch of venom.

 

“If you wish, Miss Steel-”

 

“Venus,” she insists.

 

“-Venus, I will tell you the tale of all the trouble Juno and I have gotten up to,” he finishes.

 

At her nod, he begins. He tells her of the Kanagawas, his escape from Mars, how the two were reunited by Vicky and pure coincidence, the Utgard Express, and it's with great difficulty he tells her of Miasma. He does make sure to omit the, well, _intimate_ moments, but she fills in the rest of it with what Juno has reluctantly told her and what she's gathered with his silence.

 

“Quite the tale,” she says when it's all said and done. “And then you sleep together-” He has to wince at her lack of tact, “-and he just up and leaves?”

 

“He left this,” Peter says, pulling the crumpled note out of his pocket and sliding it over to her. He's torn off the top part with his real name, and hopes she doesn't ask why.

 

Venus scans it before scoffing and tossing it back at him. “Idiot,” she mutters. “Remind me to kick his ass around the office.”

 

“All due respect, but I will do no such thing.”

 

She sighs. “Listen, Juno is a pessimist through and through. He doesn't think happiness can last, and with all he's lost, he's taught himself to curl up into an emotionless ball when things get far enough. He'd blame himself for Earth becoming uninhabitable. He thinks he's got a duty to Hyperion City, but he doesn't owe the place shit.”

 

“That is Juno in four sentences,” Peter admits.

 

“He probably thinks he's protecting you and him,” Venus adds, “-which, we both know is a pile of ancient Martian dung. So, what do you say we go and talk some sense into him?”

 

“It's worth a try,” Peter agrees.

 

“Off we go, then, Rex,” she says, standing up. “Don't suppose I can convince you to tell me your real name in the car?”

 

“Not a chance.”

 

She laughs. “I think you and I would be fantastic friends.”

 

He smiles at her as she leaves for the bathroom to change into more sensible clothes. Venus Steel certainly seems like a very easy person to be around. He can understand why Juno would want to keep her around; she's like a bright comet in a black hole.

 

A thought flits by in his brain that she'd make an excellent sister-in-law, but that's an adventure for another day.

* * *

 

Venus Steel prides herself on being able to read people, which is partly why Rex Glass intrigues her so much.

 

She keeps glancing sideways at him, taking in his features once more: bright blue eyes, lean face, thin body, glasses framing bright eyes and an ear cuff with a chain dangling from it. He looks almost exactly like the picture Rita pulled up.

 

Except, according to said picture, he doesn't look quite right. The Rex Glass she saw was impeccably dressed and groomed, with dark hair styled back, save for one lone curl, and a straight posture.

 

He's quite unlike the Rex Glass sitting next to  her in the car, fiddling with a lone thread on his shirt cuff.

 

His clothes are expensive, to say the least, but they're rumpled, like he hasn't changed in days, and his hair is a bit of a mess, not styled like the picture showed, and he's got a certain slump in his shoulders.

 

In other words, he's acting like Juno, except a bit more fashionable.

 

She loves her brother, but he can be insufferably idiotic at times.

 

This is a mess she wishes she didn't have to clean up, but if it will make Juno happy, she is all too willing to do it.

* * *

 

Juno doodles aimlessly on a legal pad at his desk. He's still not quite used to having one eye, and it bothers him to have a literal blind side.

 

“Mistah Steel!” Rita calls. “Ya sis is here!”

 

He tries to look as if he's diligently working, though he knows Venus won't buy it. His office door opens, and footsteps echo into the room.

 

“Ve, I'm busy. What is it?”

 

Her hand snatches the legal pad he's drawing on out from under him. “Bullshit.”

His head snaps up to glare at her, but her movements are fluid as she moves to the side, setting Peter Nureyev in his field of vision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually have a ton of fun writing Venus, to be honest 
> 
> Comment/kudos please! It encourages me to continue


	3. Chapter 3

Juno doesn't look good, Venus thinks to herself. A half empty bottle of cheap Scotch sits on his desk with a glass next to it. His eyes are bloodshot and his hands shake as he tugs at his eyepatch. It's his expression though, as he gazes at Rex Glass, that tears through her. It's full of pain and shame with a touch of anger. 

 

“What the hell, Ve?” he demands, tearing his one good eye away from Glass and glaring at her. 

 

She holds his stare. “You think I'm going to let my brother mope around his office and snap at everyone who comes within three feet of him?” 

 

He wobbles to his feet. “I did not ask you to do this,” he hisses.

 

“You never ask anyone to do anything for you,” she counters. “Forgive me if I need to infer from your grumpiness.”

 

Juno swipes the bottle off the desk, abandoning the glass entirely and takes a gulp from it, shuddering slightly as the liquor burns down his throat. Venus glances back at Glass, who stares at Juno like a heartbroken puppy. She can't help but wonder what's going on in his head.

* * *

 

“Have you at least taken a shower?” Venus asks. 

 

“Who are you, our mother?” Juno sneers. 

 

“I care. Mom didn't.” 

 

“Leave me  _ alone,  _ Venus,” he groans. 

 

“You're like this because you're being a self-destructive idiot!” she explodes. “You're moping, and if you would be sober for five seconds and swallow your goddamn pride instead of a bottle of scotch, you could fix that!” 

 

The neck of the bottle shatters in his hand, and glass and scotch rain down onto the gray office carpet. Juno stares at the blood leaking from his hand, at the glass stuck in it. 

 

“Juno!” Peter moves forward, but Juno seems to fold in on himself, curling his wounded hand into a fist. Peter catches his wrist, attempting to pry his fingers out of said fist. 

 

“Get some bandages and disinfectant,” he orders Venus, who grabs the first aid kit from the wall. 

 

Juno tries to pull away, but Peter holds. “Juno, please, for once, let someone take care of you,” he begs. Juno's one, bloodshot eye meets his, and all the fight seems to go out of him.  _ This _ somehow, is the most concerning thing, for Juno Steel is a man who never stops fighting. 

 

Venus comes up behind Juno, holding a glass of water and a pill, and gives it to him. The moment he washes the pill down, he looks almost dazed, and then, without warning, his knees give out, and it takes a struggling Peter to keep him from hitting the floor. 

 

“The couch,” Venus grunts, taking hold of Juno's legs, and the two manage to precariously carry him over to the ratty couch in the corner. 

 

“Why did you knock him out?” Peter asks her.

 

“You won't accomplish anything when he's drunk. At least when he wakes up, he'll be sober, albeit with a massive headache.” Venus stands. “I think I've done enough. I'll check on him in a minute, but for now I'll leave you two alone.” A few moments later, the pebbled glass door shuts behind her.

 

Peter looks down at the detective. It pains him to see Juno this low. He clearly still hasn't recovered from Miasma, and if the look on his face when he saw Peter said anything, his conscience wasn't clear either.

 

He's reminded of what Venus said at the Plutonium Parlor.  _ He's probably trying to protect you  _ and _ him. _

 

From what? Play their cards right, and the two of them could be quite happy. 

 

He'll worry about what to say later. For now, he works at trying to pull the pieces of glass from Juno's hand. 

 

Juno's brow furrows constantly, and he stirs frequently, no matter how gentle Peter tries to be. 

 

Venus comes in a few more times: to place an aspirin on Juno’s desk, to help Peter clean up the broken glass and scotch staining the carpet, to check on her brother, and to bring Peter a drink. 

 

There's nothing to do but wait.

* * *

 

When Juno wakes up, the first word that comes out of his mouth is possibly the foulest expletive he's ever uttered. His  head is pounding, and his hand throbs. Opening his eye, he waves his hand in front of his face, and sees that it's thoroughly bandaged. 

 

“Juno?” He hears Nureyev’s voice, and feels sick almost instantly. He doesn't want to see the thief’s eyes, to see the question of   _ why?  _ written all over the other man's face. 

 

Despite the agony searing his brain, he forces himself to sit up, swearing through his teeth. Nureyev presses a cold glass into his hand, and an aspirin in the other. Juno  downs the pill. 

 

“What happened?” he rasped, holding off the inevitable conversation for as long as he can. 

 

“Venus said you would be more reasonable when you were sober. I didn't think she'd knock you out,” Nureyev explains, taking a tentative seat next to him.

 

Juno laughs, then regrets it as a spike of pain cleaves his head in two. “You haven't known my sister for very long, then.” 

 

“No, I haven't. She seems pleasant, though. Is it an act, or she truly like that?” Nureyev sounds genuinely curious about Venus. 

 

“A bit of both, honestly.” 

 

An awkward silence ensues. Juno feels Nureyev shift, preparing-

 

“Juno-”

 

“Don't.” 

 

“You left.” Nureyev’s voice shakes slightly. 

 

Juno squeezes his eyes shut. “I'm sorry.” 

 

“But  _ why _ , Juno?” 

 

How can he explain it? How can he tell Nureyev that he doesn't deserve a screw-up like him,  that he deserves to be free and traverse the stars as often as he wants? 

 

“I told you. You're better off without me.” 

 

“How can you say that?” Nureyev demands.

 

“Look at me!” Juno hisses. “I've lost a goddamn eye, I'm useless at shooting a gun, I can't help you anymore!” 

 

“That doesn't-” 

 

“Don't say it doesn't matter,” Juno commands.

 

“It'd be the truth.” 

 

“Why would you want a disaster like me slowing you down?” Juno snaps. 

 

Nureyev reaches for him, but Juno stands up from the couch. 

 

“Juno-”

 

“I'm broken, Nureyev!” Juno yells, his voice cracking. 

 

“We're all broken!” Nureyev counters, rising as well. “You and I just happen to be more cracked than certain people. That doesn't mean we don't deserve to be happy.” 

 

Juno scoffs. “I don't.” 

 

“Are you hearing yourself?” Nureyev says in disbelief. “Juno, I wouldn't be here if I didn't care about you, if I didn't love you-” 

 

“I can't leave Hyperion,” Juno says, trying to change the subject.

 

“So we won't leave,” Nureyev tries to compromise. 

 

“So what? You want to live with a half-blind detective, barely able to pay bills and eat from week to week, rotting in this godforsaken city-”

 

Nureyev grabs his wrists. “I meant what I said, Juno,” he whispers. “If you wish to stay in Hyperion, then stay. If you wish to work as a detective, work as a detective. But if you meant what you said that night,  _ do not _ push me away because you think I find you any less wonderful without your eye.”

 

Juno pulls away. “How could you want me?” 

 

“What can I say?” Nureyev  gives him a sad smile. “I love you.” 

 

Juno sits back down on the couch, burying his face in his hands. 

 

“Juno,” Nureyev kneels down in front of him, taking his hands, “I would go anywhere, do anything, if it meant having you with me. I only ask that you give me a chance. Let me be in your life, when it's as normal as it could be. Let me help you, Juno, please.” 

 

Juno wants to kiss him, to make that heartbroken expression on his face melt away and be replaced with his signature smile. 

 

“I'll be staying in Hyperion for a few weeks,” Nureyev says. “If you decide, let me know. If I don't hear anything, I'll leave you be.” He presses a kiss to Juno's forehead, then rises, heading for the door. 

 

His hand is on the knob when Juno says, “Wait.” 

 

Nureyev turns. 

 

“What if-” Juno hesitates. “Come back tomorrow. You can hang around the office, pick up the basics, and if we get a case, then, well, we'll work it. Keep coming in until you decide you don't want to anymore. How-how does that sound?” 

 

Nureyev smiles at him, a real smile this time, and it seems to brighten up the room.

 

“Sounds wonderful,” he replies. “Goodnight, Juno.” 

 

Juno remembers a night when Nureyev whispered that to him, pressing a silk kiss to his lips before he fell asleep...before Juno left. 

 

“See you in the morning,” is all Juno can rasp. 

 

The door closes behind Nureyev, and Juno hears Venus and Rita whispering. Moments later, Venus strolls in. 

 

“You and I need to talk, too,” she says.

  
Juno sighs, preparing himself for a long night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh I'm sorry I don't like this chapter I think I fucked up 
> 
> Anyway let me know how in the comments


	4. Chapter 4

“How are we doing today, Juno?”

 

The question comes from Niveda, a woman with copper skin, brown hair cropped close to her head, and big doe eyes. Where Venus is all angles and radiates a feeling that constantly makes one check for their wallet, Niveda is soft curves, calm, and innocence. She's also been Juno's therapist for the past few months, not counting the time he spent with Miasma.

 

Yeah, Juno Steel, having a therapist. It seems comical to him at times, but Venus has insisted that he meet with Niveda twice a week, and, well, it's turned out to be a little less annoying than he initially thought.  Niveda is someone who genuinely takes doctor-patient confidentiality extremely seriously, which makes it a little easier to talk to her.

 

Surprisingly, as well, she's from Brahma, where Nureyev grew up, the very place he was moments from liberating at the cost of thousands of lives, before he stopped. That could have something to do with it too, but who knows?

 

“As well as I could be,” Juno replies, picking up a bottle of new Scotch to pour himself a glass.

 

“Juno,” Niveda says, her tone chiding. “We've discussed this. No drinking during our sessions.” This is her attempt at getting him to lighten up on alcohol.

 

He just drinks more when she leaves.  

 

“Right. Sorry.” He sets the bottle back down. “Did Venus tell you what happened last night?”

 

“Some of it, yes, but I'd like to hear it from your point of view,” she answers.

 

She knows about the Kanagawas, about Ingrid Lake, about Miasma. She even knows part of the story with Nureyev, though Juno only refers to him as Rex Glass.

 

She's been an excellent sounding board too, and he's already confessed to leaving Nureyev behind, and the repercussions of it.

 

“Why do you think you left?” she asks.

 

He shrugs.

 

“You must have some idea,” she coaxes. “If you wanted to stay in Hyperion City, why didn't you ask him to stay with you? Would he not have been open to that?”

 

“No,” Juno sighs. “He would've stayed with me. But he's not the type to stay in one place. It'd be like stuffing a bird into a tiny cage and clipping its wings. He doesn't deserve that. Besides, I'd only slow him down.”

 

“Because of your injury?” Niveda says.

 

“Yeah. I'm kinda useless at the moment.”

 

“‘At the moment.’ Does that mean you'll cease to be useless at a certain time?”

 

“Not likely.”

 

“You mentioned he'll be working here for a little while until he gets tired of it. What if he doesn't?” Niveda says, bringing up the flaw in the plan that Juno hasn't bothered to consider.

 

“I-I don't know,” he admits, realizing that's probably something he should fix.

 

That's a problem for another time, though.

 

A commotion comes from outside his door. Listening, he identifies the voice of a certain client, sighs, and picks up a folder from his desk.

 

“Sorry, Niveda, duty calls,” he apologizes, standing up and heading for the door.

* * *

 

“Mornin,’ Agent Glass!” Rita chirps when Peter strolls in.

 

He smiles at her. “Hello, Rita. There's no need for the ‘Agent,’ you know.”

 

“Right, right,” she says. “Mistah Glass it is!”

 

“You can call me Rex, Rita. It won't bother me,” he tells her. She beams at him in response. Her expression changes, as if she's remembered something.

 

“Hey, uh, Rex?” She looks almost...nervous? Ashamed?

 

“What is it, Rita?”

 

“You ain't mad at me, are ya?”

 

Confused, he asks, “Why would I be mad at you?”

 

“Wellllll, you know, I found out where ya were, and then I called Ve to come and find ya, ‘cause Mistah Steel was actin’ real bad: you know, all cranky and sad, so I kinda... tried to fix things, I guess?” She looks up at him from her desk hopefully. “I'm sorry if I messed you two up worse.”

 

Peter makes a mental note to send her flowers or something later. Perhaps an untraceable stolen gem.

 

“Not at all, Rita,” he says genially. “I only hope your efforts weren't in vain.”

 

The front door opens, and Venus slides in, carrying a stack of magazines and a latte, which she places on the counter above Rita’s desk. Rita gives a happy yelp and swipes one off the top.

 

“How are we doing today, Glass?” she asks, like the two of them are old friends nursing beers.

 

“Well enough, thank you,” he answers. “What's Juno up to?”

 

“He's in there, talking to my wife,” she says, jerking a thumb at the door. At his look of puzzlement, she laughs.

 

“My wife is his therapist. Her name's Niveda; she's fantastic. Though I could be biased.”

 

“Is she from Hyperion City?” Peter asks.

 

“No, she's from a planet in the outer rim, lived in a place called Brahma. She and her family escaped it a while ago.”

 

 _Brahma_. The room seems to spin as memories of years spent training, a room with a glowing reactor...his only father figure’s corpse lying on the floor.

 

“Brahma?” he repeats, thunderstruck. “I'm not familiar with that name.  What's it like?”

 

“From what Niveda’s told me, beautiful...and terrifying to live in.”

 

“Why is that?”

 

“They lived under a floating city with pretty brutal ways of controlling petty crime: giant laser system that murders anyone who steps out of line. Her mother was a revolutionary for the place, but when she was killed, her father decided that they needed to leave.”

 

Peter is about to ask her when, in case it was after he spared New Kinshasa (preparing to add another name to the list of people that have died since then), a woman walks through the door, or rather, bursts through.

 

Blonde, frantic, and nervous.  The makeup around her eyes is smudged, like it's been done in a hurry, as is her lipstick.

 

“Where's Detective Steel?” she demands.

 

“Mistah Steel is busy right now, Mrs. Tajodna, want a magazine?” Rita answers, gesturing to the pile on the counter.

 

“I don't have time for this!” the woman cries. “I need to see Detective Steel, now!”

 

“You're going to have to wait, then,” Venus tells her. “As we've said, he's busy.”

 

“No need,” Juno's voice calls.

 

The office door opens, and Juno strolls out, carrying a brown folder. A woman, who must be Niveda, follows.

 

“Thanks for coming today,” he tells her as she goes to stand by her wife. “We'll pick back up next time.”

 

He then turns to the distressed client.

 

“Mrs. Tajodna, whatcha need?” There is no cordial tone to his voice, more like vague annoyance.

 

“I'm missing something from my offices!” Mrs. Tajodna shrieks. “Files, important personal belongings-”

 

“You mean all the evidence that you and your husband were cheating on each other?” Juno interrupts her. Next to Peter, Venus chokes on her coffee.

 

Mrs. Tajodna’s  mouth drops open. “How-how dare you! I would _never_ -”

 

“Ceosna Larmigne,  37, lives at  832 Asteroid  Avenue, works at the Hyperion Post Office, won Employee of the Month twice this year, cute, I'll admit, but not my type,” Juno says, reading from a file inside the folder.

 

“Now, your husband, on the other hand: Cairo Janus, male, 23, lives in number B14 at the apartment building on Main Street; he does part-time work at Valles Vicky’s Vixen Valley, Employee of the Year _three times_ , how's that?” Juno finishes, looking up at his distraught client as he flips the folder closed.

 

“I-I-I-”

 

“As I've said before, I take both cash and checks. Leave your payment with Rita, I'll send the file to a reliable divorce lawyer I know, and I'll send you their business card,” Juno says boredly. “Pay double and the husband never knows a thing.”

 

Soon to be Ex-Miss Tajodna, the woman fled the room.

 

“She'll be back in a few hours,”Juno shrugged.

 

“You can be such a cold bastard sometimes,” Venus says, shaking her head.

 

“That makes two of us, then,” Juno retorts.

 

“Who's this?” Niveda interjects, gesturing at Peter.

 

“That's Rex Glass, my, uh…”

 

“He's our new colleague,” Venus jumps in, rescuing her brother from an awkward situation. “You know how you and I partner up for cases? That's what they'll be doing.”

 

“I wanna partner,” Rita whines.

 

“But you're the heart of our operation, Rita. There's no one as perfect as you to be your partner,” Venus placates her.

 

“Awwwww, Ve, you'll make me blush,” Rita coos at her.

 

Juno rolls his eyes. “Get back to work, you two. Let me know if a new case comes up.” He starts to open his office door when the front door bursts open, and all five feet seven inches of Valles Vicky comes storming through, her shriek loud enough to crack bulletproof windows.

  
_“STEEL!”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, hello, Vicky!
> 
> Comment/kudos please!


	5. Chapter 5

Valles Vicky. A woman brimming with constant rage packed tightly in a short, heavyset package complete with just a hint of business professionalism when needed.

 

Juno is never really sure if he likes or hates her. 

 

“Vicky,” he greets with mock geniality with a touch of exasperation. “How you doing?”

 

“I don't have time for this, Steel,” she snaps. “I have a new case for you.”

 

“Joy,” he says dryly. “What is it? More twice-stolen art?” 

 

“Someone's stalkin’ my Vixens,” Vicky says furiously. “I've had a bunch of ‘em come to me, complainin.’” 

 

Juno makes a face. Stalkers. Great. 

 

“I'll be by later to interview the ones being stalked,” he says, turning back to his office. 

 

“Remember when you were workin’ for me? You had that one asshole on your tail. The HCPD didn't do shit! I helped you, Steel, never forget that!”

 

“And added a year to my indentured servitude,” Juno mutters. “Fine. Let me collect some stuff and I'll be on my way with Glass.” 

 

Vicky frowned, then turned to face Nureyev. 

 

“Venova? What the hell are you doin’ with Steel?” 

 

Juno curses internally. He’d forgotten that Nureyev and Vicky knew each other. That would be a problem-

 

“Vicky!” Nureyev says warmly. “How are you?” 

 

“Don't ‘Vicky’ me. What's a shady bastard like you doing with Steel? I thought that job you two were workin’ was over.”

 

“A strange coincidence you connected us to each other, Vicky,” Nureyev says. “We were old colleagues before that.”

 

Juno refrains from saying that making out and one arresting the other requires a different word than ‘colleague,’ but since he's unable to  come up with a different word to define their relationship, he lets it go. 

 

Vicky looks at Nureyev oddly.  “A thief and a detective, colleagues? Whatever, not my business, just find out  who the hell is botherin’ my Vixens.” 

 

“Will do,” Juno answers tiredly. 

 

There's a moment of silence. Juno wonders why Vicky isn't leaving when she says impatiently, “Well?” 

 

“Well, what?” 

 

“Come on, let's go!” she snaps. 

 

“Oh no, with the way you drive? I'm not getting in your car. I don't want to die by car accident,” Juno says. 

 

With an aggravated sigh, Vicky grabs both him and Nureyev and drags them out of the office. 

 

“Ow, Vicky, chill. Didn't anyone ever tell you how to treat a lady?”

* * *

 

One hectic, nerve-wracking car ride later, the three of them pulled up to Valles Vicky’s Vixen Valley.

 

Vicky stepped out with a certain grace, while Juno and Peter staggered up to the front door. 

 

“I always hoped I'd make it to my seventies without being in a car with her behind the wheel again,” Peter says, suppressing his gag reflex.

 

“Yeah, me too,” Juno wheezes. 

 

They all walked in, being greeted by soft music and elegant Vixens dressed in almost nothing. 

 

“I'm gonna go find the Vixens bein’ stalked. You two go stand outside my office,” she barks at them. 

 

“You worked here?” Peter asks Juno as they pass a man painted in silver glitter, a strip of fabric tied around his waist. 

 

“Yeah,” Juno says, distastefully glaring around the joint. “I owed Vicky a ton of money. It was either that or be paralyzed. I preferred to keep the use of my limbs.”

 

“Were...you here often? Before working with her?” 

 

“This is place is really expensive therapy, basically. Come here, buy a drink, tell someone all your problems and you never need to interact with them again. It seemed like a good way to deal with my problems at the time,” Juno admits, sneaking a glass of champagne off a waiter’s tray. “I just came too often, ran up too big of a tab.”

 

As they reach the outside of Vicky’s office, Peter realizes, “So Vicky made you a Vixen to pay off your debt.” It's difficult to imagine Juno as a Vixen, almost entirely absent of clothes and a constant smile, a bit easier to imagine him charming tips out of people.  It's a somewhat pleasant but highly unsettling image. “What was that like?”

 

“Not bad, not great,” Juno answers, pacing back and forth outside Vicky’s door. “You got free food, people bought you drinks, and the tips were pretty good. It was just really draining.” 

 

“Draining?” 

 

“It was right after I got kicked out of the HCPD. I had to work here, making other poor saps feel better about themselves, had to deal with the assholes who thought they were entitled to more than they paid for...I was basically a useless, walking trophy for Vicky.” The bitterness in Juno's tone seemed to drip from his lips.

 

“You started your private investigation business after all that?” 

 

“Yeah. I did it solo until I could hire someone, but that's when Rita came along.” 

“What about Venus? What does she do?” Peter questions. 

 

“What is this, an interrogation?” Juno demands.

 

“Forgive me for wanting to know more about the enigma that is Juno Steel.”

 

“Yeah,  _ I’m _ the enigma,” Juno mutters sarcastically, still pacing. 

 

Normally, Peter would let the jab slide, but he knows that while they may have feelings for each other, they don't have a treasure trove of information about the other's life. 

 

“By all means, Juno, we can discuss the intricacies of each other later in a more private setting,” he says, refraining from lacing his tone with more innuendo than in his words. Juno may interpret it as he wishes. “You only have to say the word.” 

 

Juno stops short and turns to face him. “Are you serious?” 

 

“You said I could work with you until I tired of it. If I'm going to be here in Hyperion City for a while, might as well get to know the place and the people, hm?” Peter raises an eyebrow at him. 

 

“You don't give up, do you?” Juno says with a disbelieving laugh. 

 

“No, I don't,” Peter responds, grinning at him. 

 

“If you two are done chitchatting, I've got work for you,” Vicky says, coming up the hall with about five Vixens behind her. 

  
Five people to interview. Judging by the look on Juno's face, that's going to take awhile, so Peter tries to arrange his features into what looks like a sympathetic expression and prepares himself for a long day. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment/kudos please? I'm not sure how good this is , so help a girl out?


	6. Chapter 6

Interviewing the Vixens is exhausting. By the end of it, Juno never wants to see a speck of glitter again.

 

If only it were that easy.

* * *

 

One of the Vixens is named Sione. They're slim, fair, and clad in a blue dress that barely covers their rear. They talk about coming home and finding their lock broken off the front door, with a note and a bottle of wine on their dining table.

 

“Is there anyone who's been bothering you lately at the Valley?” Juno asks. “Anyone more aggressive than the standard?”

 

Sione frowns. “I don't think so,” they say. “Wait, actually...there was this guy. He was a little older, with that salt and pepper type hair, you know? He was weird, kept trying to cop a feel here and there, when he didn't think anyone would see it. You get those kinds all the time, but there was something just...off.”

 

“You got a name?” Juno questions.

 

“He called himself ‘J.’ That's all I got,” Sione admits.

 

“Eye color?”

 

“He wore sunglasses. Couldn't tell.”

 

“Well, that rings alarm bells,” Juno mutters. 

* * *

 

Another Vixen, Daemien, says he had two different colored eyes.

 

“One of ‘em was brown. The other one was blue.”

 

He can't  tell them anything else other than complain about his vandalized car.

* * *

 

Cairo Janus, the Vixen involved in the Tajodna case, babbles about seeing a face in the window, his lawn littered with love notes.

 

Vicky has to drag him out of the room to keep him from clawing Juno's other eye out when the detective asks about Mrs. Tajodna.

* * *

 

Reese, the quietest of them all, draws them a portrait  with a stubby pencil lying on Vicky’s desk.

* * *

 

The other Vixen, Gordon, doesn't have much information other than a phone number constantly calling them and speaking in a tailored voice, whispering highly explosive things into the receiver.

* * *

 

“He doesn't have any specific method,” Juno says disgustedly, flipping through his notes.

 

“What if it's multiple stalkers?” Peter asks.

 

“The portrait matches up with at least four of the accounts, though. It's not likely.” Juno stares at his notes with such hate Peter thought they might burst into flames.

 

“Are you alright, Juno?” Peter questions cautiously. Juno had been getting more and more tense as the interviews went on. His fisted knuckles are now pale, a contrast to his dark skin.

 

“I'm fine,” he says tersely. “Vicky, what do you want us to do when we find this guy?”

 

“Give him hell,” Vicky answers. “Then drag his ass back here so _I_ can give him hell.”

 

“Finally, an order from you I'm all too happy to follow,” Juno mutters.

 

Vicky scowls at him. “Just get it done, Steel.”

“Gladly,” Juno says, rising from his seat. “Sione seems to be the one being bothered the most, so Glass and I will stake out their house  for a few nights in case anything happens.” He jerks his head at Peter. “Come on, let's go.”

 

“That's it?” Vicky demands. “My Vixens’ lives could be on the line, and all you do is plan a stakeout?”

 

“ Relax, Vicky. I'll send the picture Reese drew to the office, maybe Rita can find something from the database on our guy.”

 

“I've lost good Vixens to creeps before, Steel,” Vicky seethes. “I won't let it happen again.”

 

“I know. Believe me, I remember.” A sort of lethal ice creeps into Juno's voice. “Tell me, Vicky, how often do you lose sleep over Asher and Jaqualia?”

 

“More than you know, if not the same amount as you,” Vicky bites back.

 

Juno stares at her, his normally warm brown eyes practically burning into the side of her head.

 

“Find the creep, Steel, and you'll be rollin’ in creds for a week,” Vicky says, sitting down at her desk. She starts shuffling papers, and taking it to be a dismissal, Juno wraps a hand around Peter's arm and pulls him from the office.

 

Juno strides through the crowd at the Valley, Vixens parting like a biblical red sea. One tries to talk to him, but he brushes them aside, pulling out a comm and dialing Rita.

 

“Rita, can you get over to the Valley? Or Venus, maybe? Vicky’s not driving us back to the office.”

 

Peter can't figure out what Rita was saying over the music and conversation, but when Juno hangs up, he seems slightly mollified.

 

They make it outside, the afternoon light casting shadows on the building. Juno resumes his pacing back and forth.

 

“Who's Asher and Jaqualia?” Peter inquires.

 

“They worked here when I did. Apparently, the three of us were all _someone's_ type. I'm just the only who survived rejecting him.”

 

“You-you had a stalker?”

 

“Vicky called him an ‘admirer.’ I disagreed, but didn't want any more time to get added onto my debt if I pissed her off. So I let it go. Asher went first. Then Jaqualia. Vicky  finally listened and we took him down. But if I'd just ignored Vicky, maybe those two would still be around…”

 

Peter scoffs. Juno instantly whips around to glare at him. “What?” he demands.

 

“Why do you blame yourself for everything, Juno?” Peter returns.

 

“What?”

 

“You always assume that every unfortunate outcome of any situation you're involved in is entirely your fault. Why?”

 

“Because it usually is,” Juno responds with a mirthless laugh.

 

“Is it, though? Blame never needs to be placed anywhere, Juno, least of all upon yourself.”

 

“That help you sleep at night?”

 

“No, I'm afraid I spend too much time reflecting on the past.”

 

“A-ha! I-”

 

“You don't understand, Juno. I do my best to reflect on the good parts of it, not the bad. It doesn't do to dwell on the dark times.  It's a difficult mantra to live by, but you learn.”

 

“What if there aren't any good parts?” Juno challenges him.

 

“There is always something, Juno.”

 

Juno scoffs again. “For a master thief, you're _unbelievably_ optimistic.”

 

“You say that like it's a bad thing-- and a revelation, my dear pessimistic detective.”

 

“Why would you even bother with me, then? I definitely don't hold your world view on things.”

 

Peter grins at him. “You know what they say: ‘Opposites attract.’”

 

Juno seems at a loss for words, so they merely stand in silence until Venus pulls up to the curb, honking her horn.

 

“Get in, slowpokes!” she calls.

 

Juno makes to get in the front seat, but she stops him. “Nope. You and Glass, in the back.”

 

He glares at his sister but complies.

 

“You're grumpy,” Venus notes. “What'd Vicky do this time?”

 

Silence was her only response.

 

“Ah, one of those visits,” Venus says. “So, Rex, tell me what went on in the Vixen Valley.”

 

Peter gives her a quick  breakdown of the events that transpired during the visit.

 

“No distinct method of torment, no specific type of victim?”

 

Peter shakes his head.

 

“Stalkers,” she mutters. “I hate the creeps. I was gonna be working late tonight, but Niveda can cover me if you need me at one of the other houses.”

 

“No,” Juno says, breaking his silence. “Do your night job. Glass and I have got this one.”

 

“Juno,” Venus says with a certain gentleness, “Don't be afraid to ask for help just because it's personal-”

 

 _“We've got this,_ Ve.”

 

“Okay,” she says in surrender.  “Let's get back to the office and run that portrait in.”

* * *

 

The portrait doesn't pull anything up on the HCPD database, but Rita promises to hack into City Hall’s citizen information.

 

Forty-three minutes later, an ear-piercing shriek of _“Mistah Steel! I found him!”_ shakes the office windows.

 

There's no known address listed, something that should have been caught during the Hyperion City Annual Caucus, meaning that their stalker must have friends to avoid being fined and free, so the stakeout plan remains.

 

“Are you sure you don't want me or Niveda to help out?” Venus asks her brother.

 

“No, do your night job,” Juno reiterates.

 

“If you don't mind my asking,” Peter breaks in, “What exactly _is_ your night job?”

 

Venus looks at Juno. “You didn't tell him?”

 

“It's _your_ job to tell about,” her brother retorts.

 

Venus rolls her eyes and turns back to Peter. “Glass, let me ask you a question: how often do you think rape happens in Hyperion City?”

 

Hyperion City is a place where getting murdered is almost as probable as having to stroll on the sidewalk; Peter can hardly stand to imagine the answer to her question.

 

“Very often, I'm guessing.”

 

“You'd be right. How often do you think rapists are actually caught?”

 

“Not nearly as often as they should be,” Peter answers.

 

“Correct. Now, if there are lawyers in Hyperion City that can get a murder charge dropped, how easy do you think it is for a rape charge to disappear into thin air?”

 

“Disgustingly easy, I imagine.”

 

“You imagine right,” Venus tells him. “That's where my night job comes in.”

 

It only takes a second for her words to click.

 

“You go after rapists?” Peter's respect for Juno's sister soars to new heights.

 

“That's right. I pay them a visit, give them a message they'll never forget, and make sure it _hurts_ _like hell.”_

 

The devious grin she gives tells him that she lives up to that every time she visits with someone.

 

“And Niveda helps you?”

 

“Yeah, she's gotten really good at making people piss themselves,” Venus laughs.

 

“You all make yourselves more admirable by the second,” Peter notes goodnaturedly.

 

Venus beams at him. “I hope you stick around to see how admirable we all can be.”

  
Peter returns the smile. “I certainly intend to.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment/kudos, please!
> 
> I'm thinking of having a chapter focused on Niveda and Venus, because I want my darling OCs to have good character developments. Idk when it'll pop up though. Let me know what you think of the idea!


	7. Chapter 7

“What do you think of Rex?” Niveda asks Venus. They're both standing in the office, with Rita shuffling through paperwork. Juno and Rex have already taken off to begin their stakeout. 

 

“I like him,” Venus replies, and she means it, however, she does hold some trepidation about the man. 

 

“But…?” Niveda prompts her, seeing her uncertainty. 

 

“He reminds me too much of well, us,” Venus replies.

 

“What does that mean?” Rita pipes up. 

 

“Well, look at me, for example. I put on an act of a normal person, but at night I beat the shit out of rapists.”

 

“Point taken. So why take him here to fix things between him and Juno?” Niveda questions. 

 

“Because my brother left Rex because Juno is a self-sabotaging idiot. They're both wrecks at the moment, and from what I can tell, Rex has saved Juno's life a few times. The least I can do is fix their relationship problems.”

 

“Mistah Steel’s kinda a mess, ain't he, Ve?” Rita muses.

 

“Tell me about it.”

* * *

 

Though he may not realize it, Juno is a very anxious person, or perhaps just very impatient.

 

It's little things, really, Peter notes, like the way Juno taps his fingers on the dashboard, the pace rapidfire, his other hand brought up to his lips as he gnaws on his nails. His leg thumps on the car floorboard, and occasionally, he tugs at his eyepatch. 

 

“How are you handling that, Juno?” Peter asks as Juno fiddles with the strap for the sixth time in twenty minutes. 

 

“Hm?” 

 

“Your eye, or lack of it. How are you dealing with it?”

 

“It's annoying,” Juno says shortly. “But I'll learn to live with it.” 

 

“Still not considering something cybernetic?” 

 

“I don't have the creds for that.”

 

“Juno, I am more than willing-” 

 

“First of all, no, Nureyev. I'm not that desperate. Second, even if I was, in the amount of time it'd take for you to even gather up that much money, I'd be dead or out of business.”

 

“Then what, Juno?” Peter demands. “What are you going to do?” 

 

Silence, then: “I don't know. But I'll figure it out. “ 

 

Peter sighs, turning his attention back to Sione’s house, making another mental note to look up the cost of cybernetic eyes later.

* * *

 

“Ready?” Venus murmurs to Niveda, who nods. The two of them pull on their masks and activate their voice changers.

 

Silently, she pries open a window using a laser cutter she nicked from Juno a few days ago. The window creaks slightly,  but once she pushes it past a certain point, the noise stops. Slipping in through the window, she lands on the carpeted floor. A hiss sounds, and she glances up to see a cat,  all six of its compound eyes glaring at her. 

 

“Here, kitty kitty,” she whispers,  pulling a packet of preserved catnip from her pocket. Ripping it open, she tosses it at the cat, which leaps at the distraction.

 

Niveda lands next to her. “How did you know there was a cat?”

 

“Just going off what Ilya told us,” Venus replies, referring to their client. “The floor plan shows that the bedroom is down that hall. Come on.” 

 

It doesn't take long before they enter the bedroom, drab and gray, with a middle-aged man sleeping in the bed at the corner. 

It doesn't really take much to jerk him out and throw him to the floor, either. 

 

Startled awake, he cries out, but Venus holds her knife to his throat. “You scream, and you're dead,” she hisses. 

 

He swallows his second cry. “What-what the hell?” he whimpers. Considering everything he did to a sixteen year old girl, Venus thinks the fear in his eyes is rather deserved. 

 

“I have a message for you,” she says, her voice sounding digital and raspy through the vocal changer. 

 

“Wh-What? What message-” 

 

Her knife slashes through his nightshirt, cutting a long crimson line along the width of his chest. He yelps, and she takes the opportunity to stuff a balled up sock into his mouth. Niveda stands outside the room, keeping watch. 

 

They've both learned not to flinch when the screams start.

* * *

 

The tapping continues, faster than before, if possible, as the night stretches out. 

 

Juno's one eye is concentrated on Sione’s house, his gaze so intense Peter's surprised he hasn't melted a hole in the window. 

 

Then the mood changes, and the air, at first only bubbling with tension, now practically crackles with it. Juno's shoulders tighten, his brow furrows, and his jaw clenches. Wordlessly, he presses a blaster set on stun into Peter's hand before opening the car door and disappearing. 

 

Peter's just out of the car, ready to follow when one of Sione’s windows break and a scream echoes down the empty street.

* * *

 

Whimpering comes from the  other room as Venus feeds the cat with a can of cloned tuna she finds in the kitchen. 

 

“Ready to go?” she asks  Niveda, who nods.  

Venus rubs the cat's ears before climbing out the window. Niveda follows, and the window slides shut without a sign of intrusion.

* * *

 

Were the situation not so serious, Peter would find Juno scrambling through the broken window amusing.

 

Perhaps he also would enjoy the view, but there's no time to admire the detective’s gift to the universe. 

 

Peter manages to climb through a tad more deftly, only to find Juno pulling someone off Sione. 

 

Sure enough, he matches the portrait and Sione’s description. 

 

A little less so, perhaps, when Juno's fist  breaks his nose.  

 

Valles Vicky ordered them to give the man hell, and Juno is fulfilling that command to the letter. 

 

This isn't to say that the man doesn't fight back, rather spiritedly, at that. But when Juno and Peter are both done with him, all it takes is a stunning shot from the blaster and he's in for a lengthy nap. 

 

“You okay, Sione?” Juno asks, and they nod in reply. 

 

“Good. Call me if you need anything. I'm gonna get Vicky to fix your window.” 

 

The two drag the stalker from the house and stuff him in the back of the car, unconscious and cuffed. 

 

Juno nearly slumps over the dashboard, the adrenaline in him starting to wear off. It's then that Peter notices that his bottom lip is bleeding profusely. 

 

“Are you alright, Juno?” Peter asks, and without thinking, his hand cups Juno's chin, his thumb brushing over the injured area. 

 

Juno's breathing hitches for a second, and the small, strangled sound he makes brings Peter back to reality. Quickly, Peter drops his hand. Juno stares at him for a moment, dark brown eyes boring into bright blue. 

 

Peter tears his gaze away. “We should be on our way to Vicky’s,” he says, thinking that maybe if he pretends nothing happened, Juno will drop it and start driving. 

 

He thinks right. Staring out the opposite window, he hears Juno turn the key and start the car.

 

They drop off the stalker at the Valley, and Vicky tosses stacks of creds at them, enough to pay Juno's rent and Rita’s salary for six months. 

 

“I'll send someone by with the other half,” Vicky says, her eyes focusing on the stirring stalker. 

 

The office door has barely closed when a yelp sounds from behind them, escalating into cries. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment/kudos, please!


End file.
